Should college kids get an STD panel every year they are in college to help stop the spread of STDs?

• Getting Tested

Ahh the age old question: Should I get tested? Well, “Getting Tested,” your inquiry on getting a full STD test is really important. So first, I commend you for thinking about the part you can play in stopping the spread. If you are looking for a simple answer, then yes, you should get tested. However, getting STD tested is a little bit more complicated than that.

Getting a full STD panel at a clinic or a doctors office generally includes: HIV, herpes, hepatitis C, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomoniasis. Most tests such as syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea include swabbing the genital area to detect for infection. However, HIV is usually a blood test, focusing on antibodies and antigens created by your body.

Herpes on the other hand is a bit more complex. There is herpes simplex type 1 and type 2. When someone has herpes, sores usually appear in the infected area which can be the: mouth, lips, throat, vulva, vagina, cervix, anus, penis and/or scrotum. Diagnosing herpes without a blood test requires the presence of sores, but a blood test can show antibodies.

The question about getting tested every year or getting a full panel has a few answers. A good rule of thumb is as a sexually active person, you should get tested after every sexual partner, especially if no barrier birth control was used. So, this means if you are engaging in casual sex frequently, you should get tested more than once a year. However, getting a full panel may not be necessary as some STDs are more common than others. Most doctors’ offices will test for syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. Based on 2017 data from the Oregon government, these infections have high rates among the college population living in the state. Gonorrhea and syphilis seem to be more common among men, however chlamydia is more common among women. So if you regularly have sex with multiple partners, getting those tests are crucial.

Receiving a full panel everytime you have sex with someone may be a bit excessive, but it is important to have it done. I would suggest getting a full STD panel once or twice a year and getting tested for the most common STDs regularly.

Receiving a positive STD result is very normal and like most infections — they are curable. A few of them have larger side effects like HIV and herpes. But again, those are manageable. If you have a higher risk of getting HIV — for example, if you use needles or engage in unprotected anal sex — you should consider getting on PrEP which is a medicine used to prevent HIV.

Some other safe sex practices include: using hormonal birth control, external birth control and communicating clearly with the people you sleep with!

Overall, getting tested is important, and I encourage it for anyone who is engaging in sexual activity. Having casual sex is fun and having safe casual sex is even better.